FG names Oyo, Ogun, 10 others as violence prone

Less than 48 hours to the general elections, the Federal Government on Wednesday listed 12 ‘hot spots’ across the country where violence might likely erupt. They are Oyo and Ogun (South-West); Katsina and Kano states (North-West); Bayelsa and Akwa-Ibom (South-South); Nasarawa and Benue (North-Central); Borno and Gombe (North-East); and Ebonyi and Anambra (South-East). The government said in a statement by the Head of Public Relations, National Emergency Management Agency, Mr. Yushau Shuaibu, on Wednesday that the states had “attracted more headlines and public attention to acrimonious activities among the political actors and parties.” It added that the listed states would “require more public consciousness and awareness against untoward attitudes during elections.” The statement explained that list was drawn up after a meeting attended by officers from the Defence Headquarters, Nigeria Police Force, Federal Road Safety Commission, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Federal Fire Service, NEMA and other security outfits in Abuja. It added that the agencies met under the aegis of the Media and Information Committee on Emergency Management to review the security situation in the country and map out plans for the elections which begin on Saturday. The Independent National Electoral Commission had at a meeting with the Zonal Commanding Officers of the Federal Road Safety Commission on Tuesday said that it had concluded plans with security agencies to beef up security in areas considered as election ‘hot spots’ in the country. But it did not name the areas. The Chairman of the commission also said after his presentations at the National Council of State meeting in Abuja on Tuesday, that INEC had made “arrangements with security agencies to beef up security” in areas identified as ‘hot spots.’ The NCS had during the meeting okayed the deployment of security agencies, including the military nationwide for the elections. The Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Hafiz Ringim, who also made presentations before the council, had said, “Forty-eight hours or more before the elections, there would be increased deployment of riot policemen, conventional policemen, and other law enforcement agencies as well as the military. “This is with a view to ensuring that no chances or opportunities are allowed for thugs, rogues and vagabonds to make efforts to disrupt the exercise.” NEMA’s statement, which listed the election ‘hot spots,’ also said that its technical and Search and Rescue officers had been barred from going on leave during the election periods. It quoted the agency’s Director-General, Muhammad Sani-Sidi, as having given the directive on Wednesday while receiving members of the Media and Information Committee on Emergency Management, comprising spokespersons of response agencies in Nigeria. Calling on emergency spokespersons to cooperate with journalists in providing ‘timely, accurate and truthful information at all times to minimise the rate of speculations,’ Sani-Sidi urged them to be alert to their responsibilities. He also urged Nigerians not to allow themselves to be used to disrupt the electoral processes. The NEMA chief assured his visitors that the country would soon have dedicated hotlines that could be accessible to the public in reaching response agencies during emergencies. He said the agency enjoyed massive support and cooperation of other agencies in all its activities and called on members of MICEM to extend similar goodwill towards adequate information dissemination. Earlier in his remarks, the Chairman of MICEM, who is also the Director of Defence Information, Col. Mohammed Yerima, had commended NEMA for the successful evacuation of Nigerians from Egypt and Libya and for the timely response to distressed and displaced victims of natural disasters and communal clashes in recent times. By Emeka Madunagu Courtesy Of: Punch